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by whoeverIamloves
Summary: How can you fight what's inside yourself? (Oneshot. A speculative mini-epilogue for the 4th Ninja War battle. Some spoilers for anime episodes in the 370-380s.)


I just watched the latest episode of Naruto (384) and I'm totally stoked for the way things are going right now! This is a little speculation drabble that flowed out of it in my mind.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. (Other disclaimer: I'm not a shipper for these two.)

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><p>Knuckes grinding collarbone.<p>

Naruto could feel every shaking breath that Sasuke drew in, and he was drawing them fast. With his index finger, he could feel the blood pulsing in Sasuke's throat.

A long fight. Not a friendly one, but not as enemies either.

Testing each other.

Pushing each other.

The battle was won. The war was over. Sasuke had joined Team 7 again for a single precious hour, and now he didn't know what he wanted to do.

He'd started talking about leaving again.

What he needed to do was apologize to everyone, beginning with Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan, and appeal to the current Hokage for her blessing to start rebuilding his clan.

But some things don't change. One minute they're fighting side by side, and the next minute the jerk says something cocky about Konoha owing him something for helping them. And the next minute they're battling full-force again, this time against only each other.

Matching blow for blow. Blocking everything, Susano versus Kurama form, 5 kilometers now from where everyone stood watching.

Running out of steam. Dropping the demon-fox form a split second after Sasuke dropped the Susano form. Exhausted. Getting up anyway. Throwing another punch anyway. Grabbing Sasuke's kick anyway, jerking him out of balance anyway, using his severely impaired vision against him.

Grabbing him by the collar anyway, slamming him to the ground, digging his knuckles into his best friend's throat. Seeing the shock on Sasuke's face.

It might be the first time Naruto has ever had a decisive win against him. If Sasuke didn't look so shocked, Naruto would have expected the leg lock that came from underneath. Then grappling in the loose dirt, getting coated in mud as they splash through a stream.

Not noticing.

Pushing more. Drawing up a knee to block a shin strike to the thigh. Striking more. Rolling more. Reaching the other hand for the other side of Sasuke's collar, hoping for a cross-over choke hold. Taking a sharp punch on the point of the second-lowest rib. Testing more.

Refusing more.

Refusing to let him go again. Denying him the indulgence of running away to pout, away from the people he's abandoned for so long. Away from the people he just saved, who DO owe him something and who he owes something to.

Deciding that he will be given a second chance, whatever it takes. Demanding that he take it.

Holding him accountable for all he's done. Requiring him to look into himself, beginning now. And if he couldn't do it without a mirror, then being that mirror.

Sensing a change. Noticing that Sasuke is no longer fighting against Naruto as a person. Wondering exactly what Sasuke is fighting when he lunges at Naruto.

Taking on whatever it is. Wearing it, fighting back so that Sasuke can fight it head-on.

Fighting bitterly on the outside to stop the fight on the inside.

Taking an elbow to the head. Seeing two Sasukes, but moving by feel. Using instinct alone to crack a jawbone with an uppercut.

Feeling a crunch in his knee. Twisting to throw Sasuke flat on his front. Getting thrown instead.

Drained, but keeping at it. Swinging wide, a left hook to Sasuke's right side. Seeing an opening, front and center, and taking it. Plowing him to the ground with a shoulder in the solar plexus, hearing the "oof" of the wind being knocked out of Sasuke and the splash of the dirty water.

Feeling him continue to struggle, even flat on his back. Pinning him in the mud. Hitting him again so he'll stay down.

So he'll listen.

Taking a knee in the back. Ignoring it. Then another, slower this time. Hitting him again.

Feeling the fight go out of him. Knowing he's still conscious by the tightness of his brow and the speed of his breathing.

Letting him up, only to collapse beside him into mutual silence.

Recognizing the meaning in the silence, and in the lack of fighting.

Sasuke is sick of fighting. His jaw is not the only thing broken—his sense of who he is has been shattered. Probably for longer than either of them realize. He has no more energy to fight.

Winning, and grinning stupidly about it.

He'd barely managed it, but he'd done it. He'd gloat later about finally beating him, and no doubt the bastard would deny it. Only the two of them would ever know for sure what happened just now (assuming mutual concussions didn't blur the memory too much), but it wasn't the point.

He'd pulled all the anger out of the last Uchiha. He'd managed to keep up with Sasuke to the point where Sasuke had to put everything he had into the fight, losing himself in the heat of it.

The speaking had stopped; there was no more name-calling, no more verbal challenges or jabs about who was going to kick whose ass and drag them back or leave them to their stupid doomed alliance. The thinking had stopped. Everything was instinct. Gut actions and reactions and pure physical reflexes. The seeing had stopped. There were only arms, fists, bones to break, weak points to aim for, strong points to block with.

There was only light and dark.

There was only the fight, and now they both understood that Sasuke had not been fighting Naruto. He'd been fighting himself, and he'd lost. By defeating him as the Light, Naruto had robbed him of the dark things that prevented him from moving forward.

And in the void they left, there was room for something new.


End file.
